This is an old post from my previous blog on homeschool.
Carolyn made the most beautiful cookies last night. It was her first time doing it alone. I went to bed. She started after nine. But she was so excited to do it I just let her go for it. Besides who can argue with having our Friday night movie snack already made?
Tasty too. GO CAROLYN!!!
Heading back to work. I am excited today. I made the first step in becoming a stay at home mom again. I have started a work from home business. :)
I am a working mom as well as a homeschool mom. It does present it's challenges. I have been off work for the last month though..it has been a major blessing to be with them full time.
My kids are older so it isn't that bad. Although I have prayed for the income to be there for me to stay at home, it just hasn't happened. So I do my part. And I make the most of every opportunity to be with my kids! I considered putting them in public school, but the benefits of homeschool, even though I was working, still outweighed the prospect of putting them in public school. My next post will be about how I get it all done!
The cookie recipe that my daughter made was much more involved than this one, but I thought I would put it here for the younger kids.
Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipie
This is a very basic, easy peanut butter cookie recipie that doesn't even require flour. They taste great and are quick to make.
One cup of peanut butter (crunchy or regular... doesn't matter)
One cup of sugar
One egg
Mix all ingredients together. Roll dough into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet, silpat or parchement paper. Using a fork, flatten the balls leaving a waffled pattern on them. Bake at 350 for about ten minutes. Check periodically to be sure they don't burn. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Day 6000
How much information do you think we managed to cram into their little brains in approx 6000 days?
I dare say, not as much as I would like to.
We started homeschooling 17 years ago.
Here is a short trip down memory lane:
We visited a planetarium and learned about the stars
We went to the beach and played on numerous occasions-we brought our bible and had a devotional on the sand.
We visited and fed seals
We played games-we played games-we played games!
We started several businesses and had the kids help with filing etc...
We played hours and hours of Celtic music with the fiddle, guitar, tin whistle, keyboard and drum.
We talked to our kids almost non-stop
Here is a list of what we are doing now....
Our boys are preparing to give their first sermons at church
Our youngest is doing needlepoint, painting and listening to all kinds of music
Our kids are learning to compose music
Our son just opened his own online t-shirt shop
Our kids are learning Spanish
They also do their bookwork....math...civics...history....social studies...bible...reading....music theory...etc-
What a blessed homeschool we have had. I wouldn't trade those 6000 days with our kids for anything in the world. Just the thought of someone else getting to experience all of those things with my kids makes me sad!
I dare say, not as much as I would like to.
We started homeschooling 17 years ago.
Here is a short trip down memory lane:
We visited a planetarium and learned about the stars
We went to the beach and played on numerous occasions-we brought our bible and had a devotional on the sand.
We visited and fed seals
We played games-we played games-we played games!
We started several businesses and had the kids help with filing etc...
We played hours and hours of Celtic music with the fiddle, guitar, tin whistle, keyboard and drum.
We talked to our kids almost non-stop
Here is a list of what we are doing now....
Our boys are preparing to give their first sermons at church
Our youngest is doing needlepoint, painting and listening to all kinds of music
Our kids are learning to compose music
Our son just opened his own online t-shirt shop
Our kids are learning Spanish
They also do their bookwork....math...civics...history....social studies...bible...reading....music theory...etc-
What a blessed homeschool we have had. I wouldn't trade those 6000 days with our kids for anything in the world. Just the thought of someone else getting to experience all of those things with my kids makes me sad!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Spending Time With Your Kids!
If you are spending time with your kids then you have actually taught them a lesson more valuable than any lesson they could ever get by going to school.
You have taught them that they are valued!
You have taught them that they are valued!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Journalist Trip
We are heading to Yellowstone this summer! I can't wait. My husband is getting our kids geared up to present the trip like a journalist would.
Food Critic
Natural Journalist
Scientist
Photographer
I can't wait to show you some of their work this summer.
Food Critic
Natural Journalist
Scientist
Photographer
I can't wait to show you some of their work this summer.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Lesson Learned
Wow, yesterday our family experienced a new kind of food. Banana flat bread. Interesting, but still mildly tasty.
My youngest was making the banana bread and forgot to put in the baking soda.
Lesson learned!
Sometimes we get uptight about teaching our children at home. There are lessons in everyday life. Once you have that mentality, you will find lessons all around you.
Take every opportunity to teach your kids by having them do!
Kitchen sink repair, toilet repair, yard work and cooking!
(I have to insert this...because I don't want people to think that I have over worked my kids)
Play with them too! :)
My youngest was making the banana bread and forgot to put in the baking soda.
Lesson learned!
Sometimes we get uptight about teaching our children at home. There are lessons in everyday life. Once you have that mentality, you will find lessons all around you.
Take every opportunity to teach your kids by having them do!
Kitchen sink repair, toilet repair, yard work and cooking!
(I have to insert this...because I don't want people to think that I have over worked my kids)
Play with them too! :)
Monday, January 7, 2008
Turn off the TV?
Wow, watching nature videos with your kids is rather err, interesting.
Fortunately my kids are older and they aren't asking a lot of questions.
Nothing like when they were younger and were amazed at a double bodied crane fly. LOL!
Nature videos and other videos from the library are great resources. But they really don't or won't help your kids learn, unless you have them engage in an activity involving what they learned.
My kids all had to write a one page essay discussing all of the references to evolution and all the evidences of a creator.
The papers were awesome! It is nice to see that my kids are engaged when they watch something on TV and not just tuning out!
GIVE UP MY TV?!?!
It may sound preposterous at first but heavy TV watching is linked to a great number of social ills. I realize that little box in your home looks innocent enough. It's such a entertaining and relaxing piece of furniture. However, a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that TV viewing has become an unhealthy addiction for a great many people. Society as a whole is suffering. Cutting back on TV can help minimize some of the problems, but many people are ADDICTED to their television set. If you are among those addicted to TV, the only solution may be to TRASH YOUR TV.
Look at some of the effects of society's TV addiction:
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WATCHES OVER 4½ HOURS OF TELEVISION EVERY SINGLE DAY1
UPDATE 9/21/06: The most recent figure from Nielsen Media Research, Inc., is 4 hours and 35 minutes per day, up three minutes from last year. Now, let's add that up. That is 31½ hours every week (almost a second job!). That is also 5½ solid days per month and more than two whole months every year. By age 70 that is over 13 years watching television! Aren't there more important things you would rather be doing with this time? Spending time with your family? Camping or hiking in the great outdoors? Fishing? Reading? Imagine what you could do with all this time.
Fortunately my kids are older and they aren't asking a lot of questions.
Nothing like when they were younger and were amazed at a double bodied crane fly. LOL!
Nature videos and other videos from the library are great resources. But they really don't or won't help your kids learn, unless you have them engage in an activity involving what they learned.
My kids all had to write a one page essay discussing all of the references to evolution and all the evidences of a creator.
The papers were awesome! It is nice to see that my kids are engaged when they watch something on TV and not just tuning out!
GIVE UP MY TV?!?!
It may sound preposterous at first but heavy TV watching is linked to a great number of social ills. I realize that little box in your home looks innocent enough. It's such a entertaining and relaxing piece of furniture. However, a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that TV viewing has become an unhealthy addiction for a great many people. Society as a whole is suffering. Cutting back on TV can help minimize some of the problems, but many people are ADDICTED to their television set. If you are among those addicted to TV, the only solution may be to TRASH YOUR TV.
Look at some of the effects of society's TV addiction:
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WATCHES OVER 4½ HOURS OF TELEVISION EVERY SINGLE DAY1
UPDATE 9/21/06: The most recent figure from Nielsen Media Research, Inc., is 4 hours and 35 minutes per day, up three minutes from last year. Now, let's add that up. That is 31½ hours every week (almost a second job!). That is also 5½ solid days per month and more than two whole months every year. By age 70 that is over 13 years watching television! Aren't there more important things you would rather be doing with this time? Spending time with your family? Camping or hiking in the great outdoors? Fishing? Reading? Imagine what you could do with all this time.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Getting your kids to do homework
As I type you would not believe what is going on behind me. All three of my kids are sitting on the couch doing their homework.
You will never guess what the incentive is!!!
We have been without high speed internet for almost three months now. I just installed it and the kids are just, well, being so good!
Haven't heard a peep from them since I said they could play on the internet when their homework is done.
Meanwhile, I have five blog tabs open and am listening to Sirius Satellite radio.
Weather update: It is snowing like crazy outside.
Top all of this good news off with the fact that I am going to win the wife of the year award for installing all of the cables and getting us hooked up to DSL.
You will never guess what the incentive is!!!
We have been without high speed internet for almost three months now. I just installed it and the kids are just, well, being so good!
Haven't heard a peep from them since I said they could play on the internet when their homework is done.
Meanwhile, I have five blog tabs open and am listening to Sirius Satellite radio.
Weather update: It is snowing like crazy outside.
Top all of this good news off with the fact that I am going to win the wife of the year award for installing all of the cables and getting us hooked up to DSL.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Swiss Family Robinson
This is how our homeschool day went yesterday.
My youngest had missed an important instruction 4 pages earlier in her English and was totally confused. We had to go back and do a few things over. That took about an hour. It might have gone quicker, had it not been for the crying and whining that took place. My daughter informed me that it drove her nuts having me home and making her do work. Good! That means I am being effective.
18 year old twaddled the day away. I wanted to watch and see what he was going to do. I wasn't really that impressed. So-Today he is going to sit down with me and write out a goal chart and he is going to have to stick to it. Gasp!
15 year old did pretty good after I pulled him off of the video game. He said he was done with his school work, just about 15 minutes after he had begun. Well.....not so!
Pulled him back into reality and he actually spent another 1.5 hours doing homework.
We went to the Library to get Swiss Family Robinson for his English project and they won't have a copy back for a week. Lucky for him. But today he will pick another book and begin reading it. SHOCK AND AWE!
I also picked out a rather cool PBS nature video for them to wrap their brains around.
I love being home with my kids!!!!
Quote from the 1960 movie-Swiss Family Robinson
[Reflecting on their island paradise]
Mother: It's wonderful for today, but what about tomorrow?
My youngest had missed an important instruction 4 pages earlier in her English and was totally confused. We had to go back and do a few things over. That took about an hour. It might have gone quicker, had it not been for the crying and whining that took place. My daughter informed me that it drove her nuts having me home and making her do work. Good! That means I am being effective.
18 year old twaddled the day away. I wanted to watch and see what he was going to do. I wasn't really that impressed. So-Today he is going to sit down with me and write out a goal chart and he is going to have to stick to it. Gasp!
15 year old did pretty good after I pulled him off of the video game. He said he was done with his school work, just about 15 minutes after he had begun. Well.....not so!
Pulled him back into reality and he actually spent another 1.5 hours doing homework.
We went to the Library to get Swiss Family Robinson for his English project and they won't have a copy back for a week. Lucky for him. But today he will pick another book and begin reading it. SHOCK AND AWE!
I also picked out a rather cool PBS nature video for them to wrap their brains around.
I love being home with my kids!!!!
Quote from the 1960 movie-Swiss Family Robinson
[Reflecting on their island paradise]
Mother: It's wonderful for today, but what about tomorrow?
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Year
Well- like most homeschoolers school is about to begin again. I wonder how many kids are complaining?
After Christmas, New Years and all of the festivities that have consumed us over the past few weeks....moving was in there too. I hope we are able to ease back into a routine. Although it will be a new routine for us. Since I was working part time and homeschooling. Now I will be home to torture the kids.
We plan on picking up Spanish this Semester. We already have some video tapes that we bought through School Of Tomorrow. We will be watching these and looking for some interactive games on line. That will give us a good start.
I'll let you know what we find.
After Christmas, New Years and all of the festivities that have consumed us over the past few weeks....moving was in there too. I hope we are able to ease back into a routine. Although it will be a new routine for us. Since I was working part time and homeschooling. Now I will be home to torture the kids.
We plan on picking up Spanish this Semester. We already have some video tapes that we bought through School Of Tomorrow. We will be watching these and looking for some interactive games on line. That will give us a good start.
I'll let you know what we find.
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